Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to protect seas and fish stock quotas for (a) Northern Ireland and (b) other UK fishermen.

The UK secured a legally binding commitment to manage fish stocks at Maximum Sustainable Yield, and end the discarding of fish in the reformed Common Fisheries Policy. Defra is working closely with the Northern Ireland Executive on its implementation.

We are consulting on proposals for 23 Marine Conservation Zones, extending the wide range of protected areas and other measures already in place to manage our seas.

Protection of Northern Irish inshore waters is a devolved matter.